HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Clague and Mathews 1992; Clague and Evans 1994 (p. 23).
Between 1927-1930, the last flood(s) occurred from Tide Lake, resulting from the breach of a moraine dam.
*1) Situated in the northern Coast Mountains, the lake was impounded by Frank Mackie Glacier and its Neoglacial end
moraine. Much of the sediment underlying the floor of Tide Lake was transported by subglacial and proglacial
meltwater streams flowing from nearby glaciers. During the last phase of the lake, large subaqueous fans were built in
front of Berendon and Frank Mackie glaciers, and deltas formed on the east side of the basin. Outburst floods from
Tide Lake in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries devastated Bowser River valley as far downstream as Bowser
Lake. The flood in the mid to late 1800s (see ca. 1852 event) is reported to have completely destroyed an Indian
settlement that was never reoccupied (Clague and Mathews 1992; Clague and Evans 1994).
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*1) Tide Lake, which was once the largest ice-dammed lake in British Columbia, does not exist today. At its
maximum, the lake was 9 km long, up to 1.8 km wide, 200 m deep at the ice dam, and had a volume of approximately
1.0 km 3 (Clague and Mathews 1992). Like Lake Alsek, it could form again if the glaciers that formerly dammed them
re-advanced (Clague and Evans 1994).
October 12-15, 1927
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Aiyansh (29.5 mm/1 day), October 12,1927; Terrace (62.2 mm/1 day), October 12, 1927; Prince Rupert
(81.2 mm/4 days), October 12-15, 1927; Terrace (34.0 mm/1 day), October 14, 1927.
Source: Report, October 12, 1927. H.C. Whitaker (Locating Eng.) to G.C. Mackay (Dist. Eng. Prince Rupert). B.C.
Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Terrace.
Due to heavy rain on October 12 and 13, the Exstew River rose 8 ft. (2.4 m) overnight, October 12-13. A
highway location reconnaissance party had three paddles of their canoe swept away. As the river was still too strong
for a canoe on October 14, the survey upstream was continued on foot. On October 15, again heavy rain was reported.
When snow was to within 200 ft. (60 m) of camp the next day, the survey was abandoned for that year.
January 7-12, 1928
Event type: Non-fatal snow avalanche.
Precipitation: Ocean Falls (186.6 mm/2 days), January 7-8, 1928; Terrace (196.4 mm/5 days), January 7-11, 1928;
Swanson Bay (371.9 mm/5 days), January 7-11, 1928; Aiyansh (51.0 mm/2 days), January 8-9, 1928; Bella Coola
(160.5 mm/5 days), January 8-12, 1928; Stewart (170.7 mm/5 days), January 8-12, 1928; Prince Rupert (47.2 mm/1
day), January 9, 1928.
Source: The Daily Colonist, January 8, 1928; The Terrace News, January 11, 1928; The Omineca Herald, January 11,
1928; The Interior News, January 11, 1928; Portland Canal News, January 20, 1928.
Hazelton reported heavy rain with a 60 o F (33 o C) rise in temperature overnight. The train traffic was
delayed due to a slide at Usk. In the Terrace area, the roads were reported in bad shape, especially at Park Hill. The
big Horse Shoe drain was jammed with ice, flooding the area.
Near Stewart an avalanche came down between the first and second cabins on the new road where rock cliffs
tower almost overhead for 60 ft. (18 m). The avalanche hit two Crawford Transfer Co. teams led by Percy Dietrich and
Alex McDonald, hauling empty sleighs returning from the Big Missouri mine. The snow completely buried the front
team and partially buried the second team. With strenuous digging the horses were extricated after being immersed for
two hours. The sleighs and harness were recovered later.
Following a two-week cold snap, rain occurred in the Smithers area. It caused much of the deep snow to
disappear.
Late May 1928
Event type: Spring runoff flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Prince George Citizen, May 31, 1928; Asante 1972 (p. 25); Environment Canada 1991.
During the spring runoff, the Skeena River changed its course on Amsbury Flats, 17 mi. (27.2 km) west of
Terrace. The sawmill built here in 1917, operated until the summer of 1928. When the Skeena River changed its
course, the machinery had to be moved before the mill site was washed away (Asante 1972).
On May 23, the Bulkley River near Hazelton recorded a maximum daily discharge of 858 m 3 /s. On June
13, the Skeena River at Usk recorded a maximum discharge of 3,910 m 3 /s (Environment Canada 1991).
During the last few days of May, the Fraser River rose and caused flooding at Prince George. Floodwaters
forced residents on the east side of George Street to resort to rafts and canoes. Despite the considerable inconvenience
by May 31 very little damage was reported. On May 30, cooler weather caused a slight drop of the water level to 16.2
ft. at the gauge at South Fort George *1)
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